At KIPP SoCal, we realize our school communities use a lot of buzzwords and phrases that can be hard to keep up with.
To help our students, families, team members, and community members navigate the acronyms and words we frequently use, we’ve created a glossary to help ground everyone in our KIPP SoCal culture.
Frequently Used Terms
ANTI-RACISM
Anti-racism is an activist in focus and firmly rooted in the civil and human rights struggles in the U.S. and internationally. Based on understanding the history of racism and oppression, this expressly political approach emphasizes distinctions between personal prejudice and institutional oppression. The anti-racism approach goes beyond a focus on racism and addresses other forms of oppression. It examines the parallels, intersections, and distinctions between all forms of oppression. The anti-racism approach is transformative and not additive, reformist, or assimilationist.
ANTI-RACIST PRACTICES
Actions that demonstrate KIPP SoCal’s commitment and responsibility in taking a leading stance against systemic racism, discrimination, bias, and educational injustice.
BIG KIPPSTER
An adult KIPP team member, teacher, or other KIPP staff.
BKKO
Big KIPPster Kickoff is a personalized onboarding experience that welcomes all new school-site team members.
CDE
California Department of Education
CHANTS
Chanting has become a signature technique in KIPP schools to inspire and instill KIPPsters into the culture. Although there is no one way to do chants, chants are usually accompanied by clapping, stomping, and banging. They can also be used to teach anything from Grammar to Algebra.
CUSD
Compton Unified School District
DISPROPORTIONALITY
Disproportionality is the overrepresentation or underrepresentation of a group in outcomes relative to the presence of this group in the overall student population. It can also speak to a specific group's lack of access to services, resources, opportunities, curriculum, special programs, etc., relative to the overall student population.
ELA
English Language Arts. A series of courses that aims at developing the student’s comprehension and capacity for the use of written and oral language.
EL OR ELL
English learner or English language learner.
ELP
Expanded Learning Program. Our Expanded Learning Program provides students full access to enriching, engaging, safe and nurturing opportunities all year round.
EOY
End-of-year. Referring to the end of the fiscal/school year.
EQUITY
The elimination of disproportionality and disparity. Equity asks, “Who is being overrepresented? Who is being underserved? Who is experiencing consistently bad outcomes?” and then seeks to correct those concerns. In an anti-racist framework, equity requires intentional efforts to address the specific needs and experiences of communities affected by racism. It involves identifying and rectifying the systemic barriers that hinder the progress and success of marginalized racial groups. This may include allocating resources, opportunities, and support based on an understanding of historical and present-day racial inequalities.
FIELD TRIPS/FIELD LESSONS
Field trips and field lessons are an integral part of the KIPP curriculum. These experiences extend the lesson beyond the classroom and are meaningful experiences for all KIPPsters.
IEP
An Individual Education Program (IEP) is developed for eligible students during an ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) annual meeting.
INTERSECTIONALITY
Intersectionality is the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect, especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups, to produce and sustain complex inequities.
KIPP FORWARD
Formerly KIPP Through College (KTC), KIPP Forward supports KIPP SoCal students and alumni with individual, personalized counseling on their journeys to and through high school, college, career, and life.
KIPPSTER
A student or alum of KIPP SoCal.
LAUSD
Los Angeles Unified School District
LOTTERY
If the number of applications received is greater than the seats available, a public lottery is held. A charter school lottery is a random selection process by which applicants are admitted to a charter school to ensure that all applicants that do not have an enrollment priority have an equal chance of being admitted.
LOWER SCHOOL
Lower school (elementary school) is the term used for our TK-4th grade campuses.
MUSD
Montebello Unified School District
MY
Mid-year.
NSLP
National School Lunch Program. All public schools receive federal funding to support free and reduced-cost access to lunch and breakfast daily. Schools collect family income information at the beginning of the year to identify which students qualify for support.
PARENTSQUARE
KIPP SoCal uses a region-wide notification system called ParentSquare to communicate with all families regarding school news and events, emergency situations, attendance, school events, and other important updates.
RACISM
Racism involves one group having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the institutional policies and practices of society and by shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and procedures. It is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on phenotype that unfairly disadvantages or advantages some individuals and communities.
RE-ENROLLMENT
The annual re-enrollment process kicks off in January of each school year. All enrolled families must declare their intent to return to a KIPP school for the following year, update their information, and submit all required documentation. For more information, please visit www.kippsocal.org/enroll.
RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
Restorative practices foster a school culture grounded in respect, trust, and connectivity. It aims to heal and learn from incidents and responses.
RISING STUDENT
When a current KIPP student is about to transition from a KIPP lower school (elementary school) to a KIPP upper school (middle school).
SBAC
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium utilizes computer-based tests and performance tasks to evaluate students’ grade-level proficiencies in both Math and English.
SDUSD
San Diego Unified School District
SEL
Social-emotional learning fosters the social and emotional skills of students. At KIPP SoCal, SEL begins in Pre-K with a curriculum teaching self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
SPED
Special Education in partnership with families of eligible students with learning disabilities and special needs.
SCHOOL LEADER
School Leader is what we call a school principal.
SCHOOL-WIDE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SYSTEMS
School-wide positive behavior systems set, teach, and reinforce clear behavior expectations; collect and analyze data; celebrate and adjust.
TEAM AND FAMILY
Team and Family is how we define our entire KIPP SoCal community.
TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICES
Trama-informed practices understand the impact stress and trauma have on children’s bodies and their ability to regulate their emotions and behavior.
UPPER SCHOOL
Upper school (middle school) is the term used for our 5-8th grade campuses.
WAITLIST
The list of students selected who did not get selected for a seat in the school during the lottery but could be contacted if a seat becomes available.
Our Schools
KAI
KIPP Academy of Innovation
KAO
KIPP Academy of Opportunity
KAPA
KIPP Adelante Academy
KCA
KIPP Corazón Academy
KCCP
KIPP Comienza Community Prep
KCOM
KIPP Compton Community School
KEA
KIPP Empower Academy
KECP
KIPP Endeavor College Prep
KGA
KIPP Generations Academy
KIA
KIPP Iluminar Academy
KIG
KIPP Ignite Academy
KLAP
KIPP Los Angeles College Preparatory
KPA
KIPP Philosophers Academy
KPOD
KIPP Poder Public School
KPP
KIPP Promesa Prep
KPU
KIPP Pueblo Unido
KRA
KIPP Raíces Academy
KSA
KIPP Scholar Academy
KSOL
KIPP Sol Academy
KVP
KIPP Vida Prep
Is there a word, phrase, or acronym that we're missing? Email us at marketing@kippsocal.org, and we'll add it for you!